It’s getting to be that time of year again. As much as I love summer, it’s time to say goodbye and start preparing for the harsh winter ahead. This amazing autumn weather doesn’t last long and before you know it, we’ll be wishing it would warm up to 60 degrees again. Just as we prepare our homes, stock up the pantries and break out the winter coats and boots, we must also prepare our vehicles for the cold temperatures ahead as well if we want our cars to be reliable when we need them the most. To make this easier, here are a few of the little things we can do to make sure that our four-wheeled friends are in tip-top shape for rock bottom temperatures:

COOLANT:

Check the coolant level and quality. If the quality of the coolant is below average or hasn’t been flushed in the last three years, it’s time to recharge your car’s first line of defense against the cold. If the quality is good, then just make sure you’re topped off and ready to go. WARNING: make sure you use a 50/50 mix of universal solvent coolant and water. Too much water in an engine will allow it to freeze. The wrong kind of coolant can cause problems with the entire cooling system.

BELTS:

Make sure your belts are in good condition. If the belts are cracked and worn, replace them before they break. Bitter temperatures cause rubber belts to become brittle & crack even easier.

AIR CONDITIONING:

I know it’s weird to talk about your AC during cold weather, but it’s important to run your AC for five minutes per week. This allows the compressor and other parts to remain lubricated, preventing them from seizing up over the long winter months.

Stay tuned! In a few days, I’ll post a few more things that you can do to make sure your four-wheeled friend is running just as well at the end of the winter tunnel as it was at the beginning! Thanks and have a great day!

So you got a ride back to the shop to pick up your car. Walking in to the joint, you’re relieved this is finally all over and you can get back to your normal life. Walking up to the counter, Mr.CounterGuy gets your keys, your invoice and starts to go over it with you. That’s when you’re hit with a higher bill than you expected.

Shocked, you want to know why. That’s when evil Mr.CounterGuy proceeds to tell you about the extra work they “had” to do. Now, that extra work may have needed to be done or maybe not, but the problem is that Mr. Counterguy apparently doesn’t have a phone that works and didn’t call you to get your approval first.  So now you have to pay him, and you feel taken advantage of. How do you keep this from happening again?
FIVE WAYS TO KEEP MR.COUNTERGUY OUT OF YOUR WALLET

• Insist that you’re called BEFORE any work is done and get it approved by you first. At least this way you’ll know that additional charges are coming.
• When you get that terrible “I hope your pockets are deeper” phone call, tell them to wait. Then call a friend, search the web, or call me to get a 2nd opinion. Does this extra work REALLY need to be done? An educated consumer is a safe consumer.
• While you’re searching, see if they’re charging you a fair price for that extra work. Or is Mr. CounterGuy just trying to charge you a premium because he thinks you’ll say “I’ve got no choice, go ahead”?
• Remember, unless that extra repair affects the ability of the car to drive, it’s NOT necessary to do right this second. If that shop is charging too much for that extra repair, tell them no or ask for a discount to a more reasonable price.
• Ask if he using dealership or aftermarket parts. Most parts available at shops like Autozone, Advance, Napa and CarQuest have to meet the specifications that car manufacturers set. This means that the quality of many aftermarket parts is just as good as OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or dealership parts. This means you can save money by NOT using dealsership parts but still have a safe repair.

Remember, YOU are the one writing that check. YOU ARE THE BOSS. They may have your car, but YOU get to decide what happens to it, NOT that evil Mr.CounterGuy. At My Car Doc, we never forget who the real boss is and we never high pressure sell you. If you have a repair that’s urgent, we’ll let you know. If it’s something to budget for in the future, we’ll let you know. Either way, it will get done when YOU are ready and not a minute before.

Yesterday, you took your car to the shop and you got robbed (see previous post “You Got Robbed!”). Now you’re mad as hell and want to make sure it never happens again. And ya know what? I’m on your side. I feel the EXACT SAME WAY and hate it when I feel like some shop or company has me over a barrel. That’s why I’m going to show you all this week how to make sure a mechanic never rips you off again.

Five Tips to Keeping your $$ in Your Wallet

Want to know more? Stay tuned. Tomorrow I’m going to help you even more.

You needed them, you car was hurting, you didn’t know who to turn to, so you took your car into the shop. They called, gave you the great news; your car is running again! Yay!

So you got your friend or spouse (or both, maybe the same person, I don’t know, not gonna get involved with your relationship, not any of my business. I mean, after all I’m just….wait….sorry, back on track) so you get a ride back to the shop to pick up your car. 

The guy behind the counter is a bit greasy, a bit dirty, but that’s okay, it’s a shop, right? Still, not like you’re gonna sit down to dinner with this guy…..so anyway, he puts your keys on the counter, teasing you, taunting you, they’re right there, but you can’t do anything about it. And then…..he gives you the bill.

SAY WHAT? I gotta pay WHAT? What did you do, dip my car in bronze and sign me up for a book club too? What in the world am I paying for?

That’s when the greasy guy behind the counter tells you that “It took a little more work than we expected.” Ever hear this one? Sure ya have! What does that mean? It means that the greasy guy behind the counter doesn’t know how to use a phone to call you first and get YOUR approval BEFORE doing the work.

So you argue ’til you’re blue in the face but he ain’t budgin’. You’ve gotta pay the man or you don’t get your keys back. Those keys. Those taunting, teasing keys. Still sittin’ there on the counter with your keychain from your vacation two years ago on them. Yeah, about now you’re wishing you had THAT money back, freakin’ keychain mocking you. You wanna grab ‘em and run. Glancing around, you don’t see your car, probably out back, locked. You wanna grab those keys and run. What are the chances Mr. Greasemonkey will catch you? But if he does, you don’t want those grubby paws anywhere near you….UGH!

So you reach for your wallet and Mr. Counter guy knows he’s got you. He knew it before you ever even walked in, but now he knows you’ve given up. Taking out the debit or credit card, you toss it on the counter with a disgusted sigh, feeling as defeated as the Phillies (lost over 10,000 games, 1 world series appearance in 125 years: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2937948) and you know one thing for sure….

YOU JUST GOT ROBBED.

So how do you avoid getting robbed? How do  It’s easy. Avoid the counter. Avoid Mr. Greasemonkey. Avoid the hassle. Call My Car Doc instead.

Want to know more? Stay tuned. More tips on how to avoid getting robbed to appear right  here every day this week.

A company called JaTech has invented something that will make all of our lives soooo much easier.

Behold, the most amazing car door you’ve ever seen!

David didn’t kill Goliath, but he did save him. At least, that’s what happened in the rematch this past weekend.  Please allow me to explain. I was surprised by a call on Sunday morning. Apparently a very nice lady hadn’t heard about My Car Doc and didn’t know she could relax while we came to her to take care of her oil change.  Like a lot of folks who haven’t heard about the convenience of My Car Doc, she went to Walmart for her oil change, hoping to save a few bucks.

Now, Walmart is a giant marketing genius because they know that once they have your car, they have you. You’re trapped. Not being there long enough to drop it off and return later (what a hassle!) but too long to sit in that dirty waiting room (at least in the ones that have a waiting room), your mind gets to wandering about other things you can do to pass the seeming eternity while you wait for a simple 20 minute service that notice never seems to be done in 20 minutes. Even if they don’t seem that busy, it always seems to take an hour…..just long enough to go shopping and spend more money.  This customer was no exception.

However, her vehicle took a little longer due to complications. Like a busted vehicle that kept her held hostage at Walmart. The kid attempting to change her oil dropped the oil fill cap into the engine. No big deal, every tech has done that. What any educated mechanic doesn’t do is use a large screwdriver to pry the radiator back and punch a huge hole in the radiator. Yep. By trying to cut corners and not paying attention to his job, that guy made sure that not only was that customer held hostage, she was now a Prisoner Of War, unhappy with very little hope, no car, melting ice cream, and now very late for dinner with her family.

Needless to say, our POW was less than pleased. Walmart tried to help, but it was Saturday night, they couldn’t find a rental car place open and all the mechanic shops were closed. She wasn’t just held hostage, she was stuck until Monday without a car……or so it seems.

Walmart paid for her cab fare from Pendleton Pike all the way to the airport to rent a car for her at the only place they found open. Then they called me.

By 10 a.m. Sunday morning, the My Car Doc team had found a replacement radiator and was on the scene, making things right.  Just a couple of hours later, we had replaced the radiator, tested the system and even made a few recommendations about future repairs to make sure she didn’t run into trouble later on down the road.  My Car Doc got the job done, done right and an entire day earlier than anyone else could have. Plus we saved Walmart money on towing the car plus another day car rental fees. A win/win situation if I ever heard one.

The moral of this story may be to get the job done right the first time by a qualified professional. Or it could be that you shouldn’t allow yourself to be held hostage; let My Car Doc come to you while you’re at home or work. Me? I’m still grinning that world-famous Goliath had to kneel and ask a local David for help in fixing his colossal mistake.

My Car Doc, that’s how we roll.

We thought some of our regular readers would appreciate this video!

Are You a Pinhead?

Last month I was invited to Pinheads Bowling for a Paul Poteet’s Gotta Eat Event (www.PaulPoteetsGotta Eat.com). Since I’m a bit of an informal sponsor for PPGE, I felt it was my duty to make an appearance. Besides, this PPGE was different, we weren’t just getting treated to free food, there was also going to be free bowling! How could I pass that up?

Because this PPGE wasn’t at a bar (although Pinheads does have a bar area and a private lounge), I was happy that I could take my kids and make this a family event. Now, I’m not regular bowler and my 115 average is definitely proof of that, but I do enjoy it. It’s one of my many non-talents. Luckily, my kids aren’t pro bowlers either, so my paltry score doesn’t look so shameful on the monitors. J

I was pleasantly surprised when I explored my options at Pinheads. It’s not just a bowling alley; they also feature duckpin bowling (something I still haven’t tried) and other fun stuff for those little whipper-snappers.  If your kids don’t enjoy bowling, Pinheads has you covered. They have a kids area that would make your local cartoon-esque rat-themed pizza place proud complete with tickets and prizes. Plus there is a special area close by for even smaller kids that is well stocked with play maze, dinosaurs, blocks, and such. This is absolutely fantastic!

Of course, Pinheads has the obligatory pro shop, a place that seems well stocked and not overpriced, but seeing the term Pro Shop on the doors figured it was a place I had no business being without a LOT more practice. I’m sure Kevin won’t mind me honing my bowling skills at Pinheads.

Speaking of which, Kevin Walter isn’t just part of the crew at Pinheads, he’s the go-to guy for bowling tips! I’ve personally witnessed Kevin out on the lanes with patrons, helping them perfect their form, stance, swing and spin. It’s great to know that when I’m ready to take the game to the next level, there’s someone there that can help make that happen. One day, when I’m on the Pro Bowlers’ Tour, I can look in that camera and say, “I’m a Pinhead!”

Kevin isn’t the only staff member you should meet at Pinheads. I have yet to meet a team member up there that isn’t polite and helpful. If you find a hip cat with his laptop at one of the booths, you should say hi to Ricky Lee Potts, the social media man for the joint. Buy him a beer and he’ll probably hook you up with a free game or two! www.rickyleepotts.com

And when it comes time to buy that beer, hop into Louie’s for a quick cold one (or four) and finger foods, sandwiches and pizza. It’s quiet and it’s nicer that what you’d expect from your dad’s bowling alley.

Got a suitetooth? Pinheads has at least two private suites for your private bowling party. These are great! You have your own private restroom in there, close to the bar, and four lanes of pin-knocking pleasure!

Looking to enjoy the summer sun? Pinheads can make that happen with their outdoor volleyball courts. Need to feel the sand in your toes? Have fun, it’s always a fun time at Pinheads.

From volleyball to bowling, Pinheads can put big balls in your hands and a grin on your face! Wait…that didn’t….well c’mon, you didn’t think I’d let you out of here without a single pun did you? Speaking of big balls, leave the 16 pounder for me. I like the really big balls. Wait……

Pinheads is located at 13825 Britton Park Rd Fishers, IN 46038

Phone: 317.773.9988

www.bowlatpinheads.com

Big Kahuna’s karate kid Ralph Maccio bowling style!

 

 

 

 

 

Watcha readin’?